Sport| Madrid: The curse, the gods and the Champions League final, by muzahu
“We hope to play in the final in our stadium – for me, for the players, the coaches and particularly the fans, it would be beautiful and it motivates us,” Diego Simeone, Atlético Madrid’s coach said last year when asked about Atlético’s dream of playing in the Champions League final at their home stadium the Wanda Metropolitano.
In the 37 finals prior to the Champions League era, only three teams made it to a home stadium final: Real Madrid in 1957 at the Santiago Bernabéu, Inter Milan in 1965 at the San Siro and Roma in 1984 at the Stadio Olimpico. Only Madrid and Milan have won. Madrid is home to five top-flight football clubs but only two have played in the Champions League: Real and Atlético. With the respective European dominance of these teams, the city can rightly claim a certain sense of footballing royalty that even offers its trophies to gods and goddesses.
“This is the only time anyone is allowed to go and touch the statues, with the cup,” our Spanish guide explains. Unfortunately, the Atlético Museum is no more but there are plans for a bigger, more spectacular showroom at the Wanda. Don’t believe me, just look at the walls and the smiling faces of the Brazilian Ronaldo, Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, Rafael Nadal, Tom Cruise and even Pelé, as they watch you eat.
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